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Marina Dale
Personality Marina is a bright, almost consistently cheerful Kinfolk. A nature-loving, nurturing, understanding and laid back woman, she strives to try and bring contentment if not joy wherever she goes, tirelessly taking upon herself the role of den mother with her friends. She loves travel and culture, sees beauty in the smallest of the world's gifts, and enjoys laughter above all else. It's just a pity she can't cook worth a damn, but it's probably a good thing for her more furry friends, since she is strictly vegetarian. She is almost always wearing a soft, friendly smile, and it takes an impressive amount to make it fade. She tends to brighten the mood of almost all around her with her soothing voice and nurturing demeanor. The tragedies of her past are less dwelled upon as the happy memories she harbors about her late husband and family, and she is always striving to keep busy and focus on the positive aspects of her present life, making the best of what she has. She isn't the most intelligent or money-savvy kin, but her endearing personality and contagious laughter are magnetic. History Marina is one of several Pure Blooded kin from the Sept of the Northern Watch, situated on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. She has been clued her entire life, living with her father, a well-off physician kinfolk, and working with various environmental groups to clean and keep watch over the coastline. She grew up a fairly privileged child, but always did her best to help. When she graduated highschool, while her peers got jobs or went to college, Marina devoted herself completely to volunteer environmental groups situated along the coastline. For the longest time, her only love was the sea. When she was eighteen, her Garou mother introduced her to another young Gaian Garou man named Aiden Dale, who also carried a strong bloodline. They practiced an awkward, adolescent romance that took no time at all to bloom into a true love told only in storybooks. They were married when they were nineteen, and few relationships under Gaia shared the happiness they had. That was until they discovered, after much attempts and frustration, that they could not have children. To those who were eagerly expecting the arrival of their Purebred children, and mostly Marina's father and Aiden's parents, this struck a very disappointing blow. There were many who would share their sympathy with the couple, but Marina could always sense their impatience with her and her newfound uselessness. In a desperate attempt to make up for her sterility, Marina spoke with Aiden, releasing him to be with other women to give his parents the purebred grandchild they hoped for. Aiden's family, upon seeing this selfless attempt, immediately attempted to rectify the situation, telling Aiden that if he could father just one purebred child with another kinfolk, he could remain mated to Marina for the rest of his days. Aiden, though hesitant to take the offer, knew it could be the only way he could keep a hold of his love while still pleasing his parents, and so he agreed. Aiden and Marina continued their relationship despite his affairs with other Purebred kinfolk, and true to his word, Marina was the only woman who had his heart. They had not been married for more than a year when what was supposed to be a relaxing, nightly stroll for them turned disastrous. They had taken a new path: not the smartest choice so late in winter, when the ice was beginning to thin, but it had been getting colder and they took what they thought was a shortcut home. They had gone several yards out onto the unknown lagoon when Marina looked up and saw a tree relieve itself of snow, the white pile of it landing in a clump at the trunk. For some reason, this gave Marina a terrible feeling of trepidation and fear, and she froze on the ice. Aiden, confused, attempted to urge Marina to continue, right before the ice gave way, plunging the kin into the freezing depths. To this day she remembers little of that night, only snippets of her struggle to breathe, strong hands grabbing at her, and her clutching at her husband before feeling him go down as well. When she woke up later, being told by the paramedics that a nearby tourist had heard the commotion and come running, the first thing she asked was about Aiden. The paramedics had to be the one to tell her that they were still searching for his body. It really didn't make sense... a strong young Garou pulled into the water and unable to get out again, but his kin wife surviving. People didn't talk about it much, only regarded the woman with sympathy since. The Sept rarely spoke of the accident, and never around her. Since then, swimming and boating, once some of her favorite hobbies, have become terrifying for Marina. Often, she'd spend whole days on the beach simply staring out at the waves, but now is loathe to ever touch them again. After the death of her husband, Marina threw herself with renewed vigor into helping others, still keeping her former husband's last name. The life insurance Marina had taken out on her husband when they'd gotten married helped to pay for her schooling to become a massage therapist, and there she also learned the arts of aromatherapy and homeopathic remedy, applying it to her daily life as well as influencing those around her to take better care of themselves. She made her first bars of soap when she was 21, infusing them with the essential oils she can prescribe for everything from a headache to a cold to emotional imbalances. She began to sell them at festivals and expos, and soon Marina's Soaps were well known throughout Nova Scotia. With the help of her own income, the insurance policy, along with a little bit of financial aid from dad, Marina spent a few years traveling across the world, researching different methods of aromatherapy and relaxation methods. Finally, she arrived in Washington: a final pitstop before heading home. It was in Washington where she received the call that her father had passed away, leaving nearly his entire estate to her. No longer having much of a home to return to, Marina took a new look at St. Claire, evaluating it for its potential to finally live out her dream of opening up her store and doing her part to contribute to the well-being of the resident Sept. Her dream took flight, and her store soon became well known and enjoyed by many. Often, garou of the Sept would visit, even if just to speak to her, and Marina found the true acceptance she'd always yearned for. After several months in Washington, Marina received another ominous phone call, this time from a law firm claiming that one of mothers of Aiden's children is attempting to stake a claim for part of his life insurance policy. For several months, Marina had to close shop in Washington while she traveled back to the Sept of the Northern Watch to help straighten out the issue, finally able to meet her late-husband's child. It was a bittersweet encounter, however, since the young girl's mother had apparently taught her to believe that it was Marina's fault her father was dead, drowned by Marina's desperate attempts to free herself from the ice. The mental blow did as it was meant to do, and Marina, in a fit of grief from even the prospect of that possibility, signed over much of her estate to the woman and her young child. Left with less than what she'd started, but still quite enough to continue her business, Marina nonetheless returned to Washington to close her store permanently. She was haunted by the prospect that she may have been responsible for Aiden's death, and it seems her dream was meaningless next to that possibility. So she packed up her things and prepared to move back to Nova Scotia and resume her listless life there. Finally arriving back home, Marina moved into her father's old home, spending several months in seclusion. Upon Hearing of Marina's fate, her childhood friend and business partner, Lisa, finally convinced her to move to Colorado, hoping the beautiful location outside of Crystal Springs would help inspire the gentle Gaian into once more reopening her store and snapping her out of her funk, not to mention bringing the two friends closer together. A kinfolk to the Fianna herself, Lisa took Marina under her wing for a while, giving her focus and teaching her how to meditate, and to craft jewelry to focus her energies. She watched as Marina once more blossomed into the carefree, loving kin she'd always been, and now encourages her to move closer to Crystal Springs and meet the Sept there, and, hopefully, once more live her dream and reopen her store. Friends and Acquantances *[[Jason Bard|'Jason Bard']] - Former lover and good friend, Jason and Marina split ways when Marina went up north to Nova Scotia. When she returned he was not to be found, and she closed her store and left before ever seeing him again. *[[Rommy Akana|'Roman Akana']] - Another good acquaintance and former love from the past. When she returned to America from the lawsuit in Nova Scotia, Marina had learned he had gone into the Umbra and not returned. She still holds hope that he is somewhere, alive and okay and, hopefully, happy. *'Lisa Fredrick (NPC)' - A friend from Nova Scotia and a Fianna kinfolk who moved to Colorado to purchase a small amount of land for use in freelance mining for topaz and garnets. These few acres lay about half an hour outside of Crystal Springs, and is where Marina is currently staying. Lisa is a well known jewelry maker and gemstone collector for use in commercial applications, selling her finds to larger corporations for use in their jewelry, but keeping the best for herself and Marina to use in their own products. Her several acres of rocky land is open to Garou use, but not terribly alluring due to its lack of forestation, and lie about 30 minutes northwest of the city. Sheet Freebies used: 21/21 Contacts +1 (Lisa) Dexterity +1(5) Charisma +1(5) Pure Breed +1 Willpower +5 Empathy +1(2) Craft +1(2) Abilities Talents *[[Talent: Persuasion|'Persuasion']]' '(2)- Marina, a very social person, has loved being around people her entire life. Because of this, she's learned their subtle nuances, and is usually pretty good at getting her way. *[[Talent: Empathy|'Empathy']] (2)- Due to her nurturing nature, Marina is fairly adept at telling when someone is in pain and people find it easy to open up to her. Skills *[[Skill: Survival|'Survival']]' ' (3)- Much of Marina's travels have taken her to both 3rd world countries as well as remote locations on many different continents. She has learned to live off the land, and though she doesn't prefer to, she can usually make do well enough on her own. She mostly focuses this on herbalism, or mainly, what is or isn't beneficial to the health of humans, as well as how to care for and raise plants for her own benefits. She might have a little more trouble building a shelter than she would collecting the week's food and natural medicines. *[[Skill: Crafts|'Crafts']]' ' (2)- Marina makes a living crafting soaps and candles for her store, made of pure natural ingredients and relying heavily upon aromatherapy. She also dabbles in jewelrymaking, and crafts a lot of non-silver items from bits and pieces of nature she finds: stones, leaves, shells, etc.... *[[Skill: Meditation|'Meditation']] (2)- Meditation is a daily ritual for Marina, and she relies upon it to rid herself of the hurt and mental corruption of others she tries so hard to heal. It also helps her deal with drama, fights, indecision, jealousy, temptation and other traits she finds undesirable in herself. Knowledges *[[Knowledge: Medicine|'Medical']]' ' (3)- Marina has her Massage Therapy certification and is licensed to perform anywhere in the country. The course she took covers everything from physical therapy to deep tissue as well as Shiatsu, Traditional Chinese massage, and aura manipulation. She has dabbled knowledge of medicine in other areas such as surgery, CPR, disorders and disabilities from growing up with her father, who was a well known physician, but not enough to practice any of it. *[[Knowledge: Occult|'Occult']]' ' (3)- Supernatural activity has always fascinated Marina, and whenever there was an opportunity in her travels, she often sat with tribes to learn their views on the subjects and how to deal with them. They taught her many cultural secrets most upperclass tourists and "humanitarian" celebrities would have to pay a fortune for, and she has always been very open to the existence of more than what the normal person sees. *[[Knowledge: Lore|'Lore']] (2)- Marina spent much of her childhood learning about the Garou, fascinated by the people she grew up around. She also sought stories of them worldwide, from both Human and Garou mouths alike. *[[Knowledge: Culture|'Culture']]' ' (3)- Her globetrotting treated Marina well in this aspect, for she skipped over the tourist-choked landmarks and sights in favor of getting elbow-deep in culture. She spent more than a year living with bedouins in Jordan, wrapped head to foot, another in the jungles of South America in a spirit house, a month here and there in Southern and Northern Africa, Sri lanka, Aborigonal Australia, and the Himalayans, participating and learning in tribal rites and culture, volunteering with the local ministries and humanitarian projects to earn her keep. She even spent time on reservations here in America, learning from the Native Americans. *[[Knowledge: Science|'Science']] (2)- Thought she's never had formal training, Marina is fairly proficient in her research of botany. She also knows the basic principles of the chemistry involved in making her wares (soap) as well as some chemical reactions in plants, but she only knows what she's learned verbally or from books. Backgrounds *[[Background: Resources|'Resources']]' ' (3) - Having grown up somewhat privileged as well as an only child, Marina not only had an insurance policy on her late husband, but also inherited her father's estate once he passed away. Much of her wealth went into Nature restoration projects back at her home in Nova Scotia, but some of it helped to launch her store once she return from her traveling, and give her a big enough place to harbor injured or roaming Garou in need of her help. *[[Background: Pure Breed|'Pure Breed']] (3)(1 freebie)- Marina is of pure Gaian breeding, as the Sept she grew up in consisted of many Children of Gaia and many were pure in lineage. This proved to be a moot point though, since becoming mated to another purely bred Gaian soon revealed her to be sterile, and thus unable to continue the lineage she'd been blessed with. Merits And Flaws Merits *[[Merit: Recognize Garou|'Recognize Garou']]' ' - This is a perk of growing up with Garou. Marina can often pick a garou from a crowd, and doesn't often need to resort to hidden hints and meanings to find out if one is. *[[Merit: Common Sense|'Common Sense']]' ' - Ever since the accident out on the thin ice in Nova Scotia, she's much more careful about what she does and the decisions she makes, evaluating danger involved before diving into any situation. *[[Merit: Oracular Ability|'Oracular Ability']] - As if a strange manifestation of the circumstances surrounding Aiden's death, Marina can often see omens that tell of something bad to come. This may even have evolved from learning certain taboos and superstitions of other cultures, but whatever it is, it's always been pretty dead-on. Flaws *[[Flaw: Sterile|'Sterile']]' ' - Marina cannot have children, or, rather, she's been unable to despite the amount of sexual partners she's had. *[[Flaw: Mild Phobia|'Mild Phobia']]' ' - Marina doesn't do well with water, especially water that isn't clear. This makes lake water very difficult for her to be around, and though she can wade somewhat into larger, clearer bodies, she can't get much past her knees before she refuses to go farther. Walking on large areas of ice is nearly impossible, as her fear causes her to imagine the depths it might be hiding. *[[Flaw: Soft-Hearted|'Soft-Hearted']]' ' - A caregiver, Marina is very susceptible to pity. It's almost impossible for her to ignore suffering, even in her foes or the enemies of her allies. She avoids violence and conflict wherever she can. *[[Flaw: Compulsion|'Compulsion']] - Marina's abilities are centered around nature and touch. She knows how much one can heal through the simplicity of touch, and she learns from people through it. She often touches people, be it a hand on an arm, a hug, or even a ruffle of someone's hair... this can often tend to be irritating for people who don't know her or dislike her invading their personal space. Etc *Marina is a firm believer in "free love". She enjoys being intimate with people, and considers sex just a byproduct of friendship, though she DOES have rather high standards. She doubts ever being able to replace her husband, but she is open to the possibility of a serious relationship if she ever finds the right guy, someone who will enjoy the freedoms she offers as well as giving her her own. *Her favorite color is blue. *She often smells of her favorite flower, sweet pea. *She always wears Aiden's favorite possession, a sharks tooth, around her neck, in remembrance of him. *She is straight. *During the summer, her favorite outfit is a wispy sundress and wraparound roman sandalshttp://img.alibaba.com/photo/101480094/Halter_Scarf_Dress.jpg. During the winter she's often seen in jeans or khakis, her small frame dwarfed by large sweaters or hoodieshttp://www.luvcharlie.com/ProductImages/2771.jpg. *Her favorite past times are hiking, gardening, crafting, volunteering at the local animal shelter or charity events, and smoking various herbs from her hookah. And yes, she can blow smoke rings. *Her best friend, Lisa, is an NPC and lives about 30 minutes outside of Crystal Springs. *She drives a blue Toyota Prius Hybrid http://agreenidea.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/toyota_prius_base_2009.jpg and also owns a little vespa scooterhttp://www.vivoscooters.co.uk/images/vespa_vba_10.jpg. Category:Character Concepts Category:Pending Characters Category:Kinfolk Category:Children of Gaia